Intel halts downloads of new X25-M firmware due to corruption

Yesterday some news began filtering in to me that there were some potential issues with the newly released Intel X25-M firmware that updates the G2 drives to support the TRIM command as well as boosting write speeds. (You can read all about the new features and performance of the new firmware in our article here.) That news was basically confirmed today when Intel sent along a note saying they had pulled the new firmware until they could figure out the issue:

Yes, we have been contacted by users with issues with the firmware upgrade for our 34nm SSDs and we are investigating. We take all sightings and issues seriously and are working toward resolution. We have temporarily taken down the firmware link while we investigate.

Hold off on those firmware updates for just a bit...

What seems to be the problem? While we aren't 100% sure yet, it appears the issues are limited to users of Windows 7 and the operating systems need to install some sort of driver after the firmware has been updated. When the user reboots after that software is in place, the drive apparently gets SMART errors and general disk read errors. Obviously this is very bad news for both consumers and Intel - we are keeping track of the reports and will post anything else once we learn it.